Chapter Nine: The Depth of the Courtyard

  I woke up in a daze, and it was already noon on the first day of the Lunar New Year. I only felt a splitting headache, and when I turned my head, apart from Biying sitting on the edge of the bed with bloodshot eyes, staring blankly, there was no one else around me. Rubbing my swollen head, I groaned and asked Biying, "When did everyone leave? How come I didn't know anything?"

  She told me that Yu Fei Yan, Jin Xiu and Song Ming Piao went to the Purple Garden to pay their respects before dawn, as for Jue Si Ye, it's always been the rule that Guo Er Ren would take him there. Bi Ying told me that Guo Er Ren is really a god-like person, he actually stood guard outside the house all night, and it wasn't until Yu Fei Yan and the others left the house this morning that they discovered an extra snowman outside, which suddenly exploded, scaring her into screaming loudly. He opened his eyes wide with excitement, stretched lazily, ignored their shocked expressions, and jumped back into the house to hug Yuan Fei Jue, who was still rubbing his eyes and calling out my name as he left. I couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

  It's New Year's Day, so I didn't sweep the old dust away and didn't wash new clothes. So I lay in bed for half a day before getting up lazily and taking Biying to visit relatives everywhere.

  In the first month, we five sworn brothers often gather together. Occasionally, Yuan Fei Jue also joins us. We then discover that every time Yuan Fei Jue comes to our house, Ren Da Shu is always secretly following him, either hiding in trees as branches or sitting on the ground disguised as a snowman. Compared to modern Zhongnanhai bodyguards or Naruto ninjas, he's absolutely unparalleled. I finally understand why Yuan Fei Jue dares to wander around everywhere despite his poor eyesight.

  Good times always pass too quickly, and before the fifth watch, Yuan Gong had hastily summoned Song Minghui and Jin Xiu to enter the capital. As it was a hasty summons, they didn't have time to prepare anything, let alone hold a farewell banquet with us. They just met briefly and said that once everything was settled, they would take Biying and me to the new official residence bestowed by the Emperor. Biying and I forced ourselves to smile and bid a tearful farewell to the two of them.

  After Lantern Festival, Yu Feiyan received an imperial edict and went back to battle in the northwest again.

  Ben Daihe and Fei Yan had a good gathering, but Biying's body caught a cold again. Fei Yan personally came to De Xinju to see Biying, comforting her to take care of herself and not to overexert, as she was just recovering. Biying naturally nodded in tears. When they reached the door, Fei Yan secretly handed me many silver tickets. I declined, saying: "Big brother, don't give Mu Ge any more, you've already had someone deliver our monthly salary...

  He gave me and Biying, Second Brother and Jinchou also gave a lot of wealth when they left. We were already not lacking, now Biying has recovered, originally we couldn't use so much, Big Brother is the eldest brother of our Xiao Wu Yi, let's keep it for taking care of Sister-in-law instead."

  Yu Feiyan chuckled and looked at me with a playful gaze: "Fourth sister, big brother knows he's dull-witted, but does fourth sister know what I've never understood my whole life?"

  I looked at him in confusion, and he smiled and continued: "Among our five sworn brothers, Fourth Sister is young, but she's steady and mature like an adult. She always tries to be one step ahead of us, even I, the eldest brother, feel inferior to her. Fourth Sister has great wisdom hidden within her, yet she often appears foolish, deceiving everyone."

  Alas! Is he praising me or scolding me? I was just about to defend myself, but he forcibly stuffed the silver ticket into my hand and said: "A great man who has joined the army is destined to die a heroic death, wrapped in horsehide. Who knows if there will be a day when I can return alive and take a wife and have children? Fourth sister is keeping it for me. If I'm lucky enough to come back alive, consider this as my gift to the three sisters. But if we are separated forever, heaven and man apart, please ask fourth sister to take out some of it, and use it as Flying Swallow's funeral expenses." He was still smiling with his usual heroic air, but a hint of invisible sadness crept into his eyes.

  "My eyes were moist: 'Big brother, don't talk nonsense. Fourth sister is still waiting for big brother to be the matchmaker for her and we three girls can also be noble ladies with golden halls and jade horses! And Biying is also waiting for you to be the master of ceremonies for her and second brother's wedding. Big brother is a man of his word, he won't go back on his promise to fourth sister, right?' By the end, my voice was also choked with sobs."

  Fei Yan's expression changed from being moved to delighted, then to shocked and finally looked at me with a bit of weirdness: "Did fourth sister just mention second brother and Biying?"

  "Exactly! Big brother must come back and preside over their wedding." I looked at him eagerly.

  "As far as I know, Guan's intended is not Sanmei." Yufeiyan looked at me cautiously, and my unease suddenly rose: "Then who is his intended?"

  Suddenly I remembered xiang qin, and I weakly cried out: "Alright, alright, I know."

  "Ah! You know again?" He looked surprised.

  "Besides Yuan Fei, who else in this garden has made Second Brother so infatuated?" I sighed and grasped the sturdy arm of Yu Fei Yan: "Big Brother, it seems that Bi Ying's lifelong happiness depends on you now?"

  Fei Yan's face twisted for a moment before she calmed down and said, "Could it be that Fourth Sister wants to play matchmaker for Big Brother and Third Sister?"

  "What's on your mind, big brother?" Ugh, am I supposed to look like a wicked matchmaker who loves meddling in other people's relationships?

  I let out a sigh: "The only plan now is for big brother to establish meritorious achievements and ask the emperor to grant marriage between second brother and Biyan, so that Biyan will have a lifelong dependence. What does big brother think?"

  Fei Yan took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said with great joy: "This plan is excellent, but what if second brother doesn't agree...what then?"

  He also has a point, I said: "Biying is so beautiful and talented, second brother is a bit proud, but after getting Biying, he will surely find her strengths, and they will get along harmoniously."

  He also nodded: "What the fourth sister said is extremely true, and the big brother is just you four relatives. If it can be even more intimate, that would be better. Then the fourth sister will hear the good news from the big brother."

  "He paused for a moment: 'Fourth sister and fifth sister are also going to open their eyes, big brother is worried too.'"

  Haha! My big brother is really a model parent, worrying about this and then worrying about that.

  I smiled and said, "Don't worry about Jinchu, brother. She's not interested in getting married and having children. She'll make a fuss for a while, but fortunately, she's always been clean and self-disciplined. I think it's better to let her choose someone she likes, or wait until she gets tired and then we can choose a good one for her."

  He tilted his head and smiled: "Fourth sister thought it through, but didn't know that big brother was most worried about you!"

  "Me?" I burst out laughing: "What's there for me to worry about?"

  "Fourth sister is exceptionally talented, with a heart full of noble integrity, truly not someone an ordinary man can match. Even second brother often says to me that he wonders who will be lucky enough to take fourth sister as his wife..." For some reason, his eyes dimmed slightly, and he cautiously looked at me before continuing: "Even second brother also often tells me that he wonders who will be the lucky one to marry fourth sister..."

  This tall hat is really big, and it's also one of the highest praises for ancient women. Unfortunately, what was once a vast ocean is now just a drop of water.

  "Who knows who will wake up from the great dream first, I have always known myself," I smiled faintly and said to the silent distant mountains: "In this life, being able to befriend Xiaowu is already a great fortune, I only hope for a peaceful life and won't have any other thoughts. But as for brother, not having an heir is the greatest unfilial act, you should find a wife soon."

  Fei Yan couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh loudly: "This little girl, you were just talking nicely to me, how did you end up teasing your big brother again?"

  He looked at me for a while, took my hand: "Although I have been with my sister for six years, I don't dare to ask my sister what story she has, fearing that every moment will touch her sad past." My heart was shocked, and I raised my head to see him smiling quietly, his bronze bell-like eyes like a autumn water, shining with warm and sincere light, without any intention of probing or teasing: "Just hope that my sister remembers, no matter what happens, Fei Yan is always by your side, listening for your orders, even if you don't want to marry all your life, as long as Fei Yan can defeat the Turks and live through this dynasty, I can also not take a wife, accompany my sister to travel around the world, sail on the green waves, and end this life."

  I really didn't expect... my sworn brother for this life, who looks so rough and is always clumsily bullied by us, bringing laughter to us poor girls...

  Just after entering the army, compared to the naturally talented Song Erge, he was always scolded by the instructor. When others were eating and resting, he was still being punished under the scorching sun... My elder brother who is more tolerant than anyone else, more diligent than anyone else...

  I stood there, he had smiled and mounted his horse, accompanied by several attendants, and galloped down the mountain. By the time I came to my senses, there were already several robust figures on the slope. Tears welled up in my eyes as I ran after him, waving my hands vigorously against the wind, shouting loudly: "Big brother, may your military expedition be triumphant, Mu Li awaits your safe return."

  He raised his V-shaped two fingers high, smiled and nodded at me, disappearing in front of my eyes like the wind.

  After several days, Biying had a high fever that wouldn't subside and severe abdominal pain. I hastily invited Dr. Zhao, who often treated Biying, to come and examine her. After the examination, he said there was no need to worry, as she had already recovered from the cold and only suffered from a slight wind chill-induced fever.

  As for the abdominal pain, it was probably due to eating spicy food or being stimulated, which led to blood stasis and disharmony between the inside and outside. At that time, I simply thought it was because I drank too much wine on New Year's Eve.

  Zhao Langzhong prescribed a simple "Si Wu Tang" decoction commonly used for gynecological adjustments, with only some common Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia glutinosa, Paeonia lactiflora and Ligusticum wallichii.

  The medicine is made of only four ingredients, hence the name "Si Wu Tang".

  Perhaps because of the old patient, Zhao Langzhong thought for a moment and added a touch of "mang chong" to break up blood stasis and disperse stagnation. He also seriously instructed me that when buying medicine at the pharmacy, I must ask the pharmacist clearly whether the mang chong must be caught in summer and autumn, pinched to death on its head, and dried in the sun to be effective.

  I'm getting goosebumps just listening to it, and Biying still has to eat cowpeas!

  I took some silver fragments and instructed Yuan Wu to prepare all the medicinal materials, which were then decocted at dawn and dusk and given to Biying.

  On the second day of February, when the dragon raises its head, Biying's illness has receded. Although Biying and I are still servants in the Zhuangzi, everyone knows that we rely on the mountain being very hard, so even if we don't go to work, no one will know or care. On the contrary, Zhou Danni always comes to ask about our well-being, as if we were under her management. However, before leaving the Ziqiu Mountain Villa, except when Biying's body was not feeling well, Biying and I would still go to Zhou Danni's house at a fixed time to pick up the washed clothes. When I arrived at the door, I softly called out: "Zhou Danni, Muqi has come to pick up the washed clothes."

  A woman of about the same age as Mrs. Zhou walked out of the house, with a proud and slightly displeased expression, wearing a satin jacket and light fur, with a purple jade waist card hanging from her waist, which was the powerful manager in the garden, even the wife's attendant Lian Ruijia's mother-in-law, also known as the wet nurse of the elder brother and sister of the main house, whose beloved daughter was also Biying's arch-nemesis Xiangqin.

  She looked us up and down, frowned: "I thought it was a wild prostitute from somewhere who was shouting so loudly. It turned out to be you two demons, one stealing the master's things, and the other teaching your sister to seduce the master. You really have no shame."

  We never thought that we would be splashed with dirty water in broad daylight. Biying's face turned pale, her white teeth clenched tightly, and her lips had no blood color. Tears welled up in her eyes, and I also became anxious. With a cold smile, I said: "Even if Biying was wronged by someone, it's not your turn to scold her, let alone my family's Jinxiu who is favored by the mistress and highly appreciated. How can you compare with your own daughter? Are you implying that all the servants who serve the master are seducing him?"

  Biying and Zhou Danni, who came out of the house, were both shocked. Zhou Danni was persuading Lian Rui's family not to take me seriously, this foolish donkey. Biying was tightly holding my sleeve on one side, tearfully begging me to stop talking, it can be seen that in their hearts, I have already lost my mind.

  Her old face turned as white as paper, and her mouth also trembled. She probably didn't expect that someone would dare to say this to her today: "You're going against the rules, relying on the young master's favor towards your mistress, you people are so disrespectful, is there still any justice in this world?"

  "Hum! What's wrong with you? Have you gone mad? Who can tolerate this, who cannot tolerate it? I let out a loud hum: "What's wrong with what, what about the wet nurse? We, the five brothers and sisters, have always acted uprightly and honorably. Above, we are worthy of our parents' trust; below, we are worthy of each other's respect. My eldest brother has risked his life to protect the country in the Western Regions; my second brother's sister-in-law is guarding the Emperor in the palace. You, on the other hand, rely on having nursed the young master and the second miss for a few days, and dare to bully others with your power, even insulting officials appointed by the imperial court! That's what's truly outrageous, without any justice!" By the last sentence, I was almost shouting.

  This fierce quarrel had a great impact, and the surrounding wives, daughters-in-law, maidservants, and young servants all came out to watch the excitement. I was also so angry that my face turned red, tears streaming down, later, the crowd's persuasion was overwhelming, and finally, Lian Rui's family was persuaded to leave, but she vowed to crush me, this little demon, into dust.

  Haha, let the storm come more fiercely! At that time, I was fearless and shouted at her: "Come on, see who's afraid of whom!"

  Zhou Danni smiled and said, "She's just a stubborn old woman who likes to show off. Mu Niang and Ying Niang are now respectable people, why bother with that old hag?"

  "I didn't want to quarrel with her either, but how could she humiliate my sworn brother and sister like that?" Biying sobbed as she pulled out a handkerchief from her bosom, which I took and wiped away tears.

  "Look at you two, tears streaming down your faces. She's a pitiful person too. The one outside her house only knows how to drink and gamble, whenever he gets some money, he sneaks out to the village to visit prostitutes. He has only this daughter, Xiang Qin, who is also quite pretty. Originally, Master Qing liked her too, she was already a girl in Master Qing's household, but unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. Master went on a trip to Beijing and married a princess."

  She sighed again: "We, the lower-class women, can only hope that our sons and daughters will be favored by their masters, and one day they will climb up to a higher position, so that we ourselves can live a better life. This Xiang Qin's fate is also bitter, it was not easy for her to gain the favor of the second young lady in these two years, and being able to enter the palace with the second young lady is also a great honor, but unfortunately..."

  I wiped away tears and asked in surprise: "What's wrong with Biansheng?"

  "Our family's Second Miss has been stripped of her title as Imperial Consort!"

  "Why is that?" Biying and I were shocked, this was no trivial matter. The new emperor dared to refuse the marriage proposal of a powerful minister, there could only be two reasons for it: either he favored someone else or he was suspicious.

  "I'm a housewife, I didn't understand it at first. That old woman came crying and said that the original wife of the new emperor, Duan's family, also made great contributions in the pacification of the rebellion. The Duan family had given birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins a few days ago, and she is also the niece of Empress Dowager Duan. She was already stunningly beautiful, with both beauty and talent, and there were rumors in Kyoto that 'when taking a wife, one should take Duan Lihua'. The new emperor already favored Duan Lihua, and now with the edict from the empress dowager, he has already proclaimed to the world that Duan Lihua is the new empress. Her son is already the crown prince. It seems that our second miss can only be a imperial noble consort."

  So it turns out that the new emperor favors Duan's family, and not only does Duan have the edict of the Empress Dowager, but also has the support of the Southern Army of the Duan family which is strong enough to rival the Northern Army of the Yuan family. Since Emperor Xi chose to break off the engagement with the Yuan family in favor of the Duan family, the Yuan family will surely rebel even if they don't want to.

  I was lost in thought when Old Lady Zhou spoke up again, "What a tragedy! What parents would be willing to let their daughter become a concubine? However, there's also some good news. Our mistress has been working hard these past few years and has miscarried who knows how many times. The doctor said it was hopeless, but unexpectedly she's pregnant again, already five months along. That's why I advise you, miss, to be patient and endure, lest someone else starts rumors about the two of you in front of our mistress."

  I and Biying thanked Mrs. Zhou and returned in low spirits.

  After a few days, Biying went to Zhou Danni's house to give Yu Feiyan the jade pendant as a token of their friendship. I was taking a nap in my room when Zhenzhu, the maid from the Zi Garden, rushed in to summon me to the garden. I had just woken up and asked her drowsily what the mistress wanted with me. Zhenzhu usually got along well with me, but today she avoided eye contact and said coldly that she didn't know either.

  Upon entering the upper house, the long-forgotten fragrance of lilies wafted up to her nose. The exquisite clock on the wall still shone brightly. On the kang sat the original mistress of the house, resplendent in a fox fur-lined cloak with a jade-studded collar, wearing a pink silk jacket with floral patterns, a stone-blue embroidered satin cloak with a grey squirrel trim, and a bright red velvet skirt lined with silver fox fur. Her face was radiant and she sat upright, one hand resting on her slightly rounded belly, the other holding a small copper fire tongs to stir the ashes in the brazier. The renowned Mr. Liu stood at the edge of the kang, his expression unreadable, cradling a small lacquered tea tray with a tiny oil-paper package on it that seemed vaguely familiar.

  I knelt on the ground, made a bow and kowtowed with great respect. She didn't take the tea nor lift her head, but only fiddled with the ashes in the brazier. After a long while, my legs were almost numb from kneeling, and the chronic backache from years of doing laundry made it hard for me to straighten up. Sweat trickled slowly down my forehead.

  She slowly raised her head, her sharp eyes staring at me with an icy coldness that made my heart skip a beat. Had Lian Rui's family been telling tales about me?

  She coldly laughed and said: "What a beautiful sleeping beauty of Haitang Spring! Who do you show off your coquettish appearance to every day? Do you think I don't know what you're up to?"

  I raised my head in surprise: "Mu Jin doesn't know what Madam is asking?"

  "The child in my belly has no grudge against you, yet you, this shameless little harlot, how dare you try to harm me with poison? I have always treated you and your sister with kindness, but now that your two brothers are successful and your sister is favored, not only do you show no respect for your elders, but also bully those who are more senior than you, and now you even dare to bully me?"

  As expected, this has a profound connection with Lian Rui's family, but I poisoned her and harmed the child in her belly, what is going on?

  I hastily explained: "Last time Mu Ge and Lian Da Niang argued, it was wrong, but Mu Ge would never dare to poison the unborn child!"

  The original madam let out a cold snort and called out to Yan Sheng, who then handed me the tea tray. With a chilly tone, she asked, "Do you recognize this object?"

  I took a look, and inside the oil paper package was a small pile of black things, which were the leeches that Zhao Langzhong had given to Biying earlier. I honestly replied: "If Mu Xi didn't make a mistake, this should be the leeches."

  The original madam shed tears and said: "I have been in the Yuan family for seven years, and it was not easy to get pregnant for five months. Fortunately, Yan Sheng discovered that someone had added a dose of cow flea to my fetal medicine."

  Liu Yansheng said in a low voice, "Ox hornet, caught in summer and autumn, the female insect is pinched to death at the head, dried or dried in the shade, and made into medicine. It has a slightly cold nature and is toxic. It is effective for blood stasis and traumatic injuries. However, pregnant women are forbidden to take it!"

  I had a faint feeling that I was entering a trap, a big mouthbag that someone else had already opened. I forced myself to calm down and said: "Mu Qi did buy the cow's gallbladder, but it was for his sworn sister Biying who was suffering from severe abdominal pain, and it was prescribed by the doctor. There are over a thousand people in this estate, how can you be sure that the cow's gallbladder belongs to Mu Qi?"

  Liu Yansheng said coldly: "Take Yuan Wu."

  Two sturdy young soldiers were dragging a disheveled man, who was covered in blood from his buttocks to his calves, without an inch of good flesh left, clearly having suffered severe punishment. The man struggled to lift his head, his nose blue and face swollen, barely recognizable as the original Wu.

  I was so frightened that I fell to the ground, covered in cold sweat. Liu Yansheng said: "Yuanwu, this cowherb is what Huamu gave you to secretly put into your wife's medicine?"

  Yuan Wu didn't dare look at me, nodding laboriously as he spat out bloody foam from his mouth.

  "What did you say?"

  I raised my head and said calmly, "Mu Jin is just pitiful, the younger sister of Yuan Wu also has blood stasis like Bi Ying, but she can't afford a doctor, so she gave some of Bi Ying's leftover medicine to Yuan Wu and also gave him 50 taels of silver, I don't know if Yuan Wu has returned it all to his wife."

  "Yuanwu has already returned naturally, and you still ask him to collude with the letter in my room to poison me. Have you forgotten? You cheap woman." The lady shouted loudly.

  I looked at Yuan Wu, only to see his eyes empty and dull, no different from a dead man. Liu Yan Sheng asked him in front of me, but he just nodded stupidly.

  Well, with both human and material evidence present, it seems I'm doomed. I asked Yuan Wu: "Yuan Wu, was it someone who took your family hostage to force you to harm me, or were you tortured into making a false confession?"

  Yu Wú's eyes suddenly panicked, his lips trembling, opening his mouth for a long time wanting to say something, but unable to utter any words, finally just gazing at me in pain and tears.

  "Don't pretend anymore, Huamu. You once said you were ambushed by someone in Xilin, but I'm afraid it was just a ruse of yours. Quickly confess who your master is!" The voice of Liu Yansheng came from above: "Spare yourself the pain."

  I looked at Mrs. and Liu Yan-sheng: "Please, madam, Mr. Liu, I implore you to understand that the medicine for Mu Jin's cowhide was prescribed by Dr. Zhao Menglin, but since Biying had no one else to turn to except me, I asked Yuanwu to help me fetch the medicine. Madam, would you please send someone to invite Dr. Zhao Menglin down from the mountain to verify this?"

  "Hua Mugun, are you resentful that I treated you not as well as Jin Xiu, and that's why you're harming me like this?" The lady sighed: "Actually, I had already planned to transfer you to the Imperial Garden tomorrow to serve as a maid, but unexpectedly, you..."

  She wept uncontrollably, and Liu Yan sighed: "Madam, don't be heartbroken for such an ungrateful person. Huamu, yesterday we went to the city to look for Zhao Menglin, but his whole family had left Xi'an overnight. It must have been that their evil deeds were exposed, and they fled in fear of punishment."

  My head spun and I felt dry in the mouth: "There is still Zhao Menglin's four-material decoction plus the prescription of Niubang in my house, please ask Madam to send someone to find it."

  The lady smiled coldly: "You don't have to rush, as soon as you left the house, I sent someone to search for him. Sheng, has Huai An returned to report yet?"

  At this time, Huai An walked into the hall, holding a large pile of gold, silver, pearls and precious fabrics, "Report to madam, these are all suspicious items found by Huai An in the Flower Wood House."

  "Can you find any prescription?"

  "Never had."

  "Liar!" I sneered coldly: "Biyin was ill from six years ago until this New Year's, and all the prescriptions were hidden with these jewels. Adding the last one, there are a total of 56 pieces. If Huian can find these jewels, why can't he find the prescriptions? Or did Huian take someone's money and destroy the prescriptions?"

  Huai An suddenly came over, fiercely slapping me with his palm, causing my eyes to see stars. My left cheek throbbed in pain, and the metallic taste of blood spread through my mouth, finally trickling out from the corner of my lips. I maintained a smile as I gazed at Huai An's face twisted in malice: "My second brother treated you well, but you envied that my older brother and second brother were both outstanding soldiers who rose to prominence earlier than you, despite being younger. So, you colluded with others to frame me, trying to bring down my brothers. If one day they find out, you will die without a whole corpse." Huai An's face grew increasingly pale as he listened, finally revealing a look of fear.

  "Enough!" The lady picked up the white jade cup with lotus pattern on the table and smashed it at my face, shattering it into pieces. My forehead throbbed in severe pain, and blood flowed into my eyes. I couldn't see the lady's expression, but only heard her trembling voice: "Do you think that just because your sworn brother has become a fourth-rank official, you've become so arrogant that you don't know who you are? Today, I'll test whether you'll die without leaving a whole corpse if you move!"

  "Madam, calm down," a gentle voice suddenly came, I struggled to open my eyes, and saw a slender and elegant beauty with a tall and slender figure slowly emerging, her beautiful eyes and eyebrows, her gaze flying, her literary talent and refinement, making one forget the world, and it was hard to distinguish between her and the brocade, behind her followed Xiang Qin with a satisfied expression and her mother Lian Ruijia.

  Fine, today our arch-nemesis is coming to settle the score with us. This young lady is quite close to Song Minghui, she should be helping me out, right?

  "Madam, you're pregnant and in a delicate state, why must you be on the same level as her? Since she keeps saying it's for treating Biying's illness, why not call Biying over to confront her too, so she can be convinced thoroughly." My heart tightened, why did they have to drag Biying into this? I saw Xiangqin's gaze and my fear deepened. Was Yuan Feiyan here to help me or harm Biying?

  The lady, however, pulled her hand and sighed, saying something like "Oh, child, why are our lives so bitter?" The original non-smoker possibly thought of the empress's failure to be selected and also had a difficult expression, not uttering a word.

  Soon, Biying arrived, apparently having heard what had happened. She looked anxious and bowed to me, then saw the blood on my forehead and burst into tears: "Muyi, what's going on?"

  Yu Yan Sheng didn't say a word, stepped forward and grabbed her hand to take her pulse. With his toes, he thought Yu Yan Sheng would also say that there was no blood stasis in the meridians, only that she had suffered from typhoid fever before, which was good.

  "Wow! I didn't expect it to be a thief! Why does the name sound so familiar? It turns out that she was the little girl who stole the non-smoking jade pendant a few years ago!" The lady looked enlightened, and the second young lady walked up to her with light steps, presenting a cup of tea, also sighing: "I really didn't expect that she still hasn't changed, now... Madam, please be lenient towards them for the sake of General and Song's guards."

  Baiying's face turned pale, but she stuck close to me. I sneered coldly, and the lady shouted, "What are you laughing at?"

  "I know that today's calamity is unavoidable, so I might as well let my madness erupt again and show off my astonishing talent one last time before I die: 'Madam, do you know that for a great family like the Yuans, if they are attacked from outside, it would be impossible to destroy them in a short time? As the ancients said, "A centipede dies but does not stiffen". However, if they were to self-destruct from within, they would collapse in just one day. I laugh at the pitiful Yuan Gongzhu's painstaking efforts, for his great undertaking has yet to succeed, but within his own household, there are already petty people trampling and harming loyal officials.'"

  "Kill the duck, take it out and beat it hard. If it's still alive, wait for her to draw a picture with her finger, and then ask the old woman to drive it out of the village and sell it." The original madam said, suppressing her anger.

  I was held up by two strong men, Biying burst into loud wailing, and crawled forward to hug the lady's feet to beg for mercy. However, Xiangqin took a step forward first, kicked her in the chest with one foot, and pushed her down from the sedan chair. She coldly sneered at her: "You lowly maid, you're not even worthy of touching the lady with your filthy body."

  Baiying spat out fresh blood, collapsed on the ground panting heavily, turned her head to look at me, with a dull grey in her eyes.

  My waist and legs were clamped by the wooden board, which was nailed one after another. It turned out that I was indeed a dead duck with a hard mouth, and the pain gradually blocked all my words.

  Just as I was in so much pain that I was considering how to admit defeat and turn the tables, Biying suddenly said: "Please ask them to stop, madam. I have something to say."

  At the lady's command, the board stopped, and I looked at Biying with tears in my eyes. This noble Biying was once defiled by theft and suffered all kinds of torture, her skin torn and flesh lacerated, yet she never begged for mercy. Now, however, she humbled herself before others and knelt down to beg for me, enduring all sorts of humiliation.

  I burst out laughing, admiring the profound sorrow of a small figure. Indeed, we are nothing but ants, with life and death at the mercy of those in power.

  My heart was filled with extreme sorrow and indignation, I exerted all my strength to shout: "Biying, now that we are on the executioner's chopping board, let us not seek anything from them anymore. Let them beat me to death, it would be good to chill the hearts of Xiaowu Yi and other righteous scholars. Even if I become a ghost, I will see who dares to help the Yuan family seize the throne again."

  Biyin looked at me with a sudden chill and smiled: "Muyi, I've been down on my luck since childhood, both parents passed away, the only property left was taken over by my uncle, then I was sold to this Ziqiu Mountain Villa by my aunt. Along the way, I've seen the world's cruelty and didn't think I'd be framed again, and also got hurt by a cold, originally wanted to just die, but thanks to you and Xiao Wu's care, I managed to survive until today. Didn't expect that not only can I not repay your kindness in this life, but also drag you down to this point. It seems that... it seems that we can only make a promise to be together in the next life."

  I'm in so much pain that I couldn't speak, but in my heart, I was screaming: Biying, you silly girl, don't do anything stupid!

  Then she turned her head and respectfully bowed to the lady, looking at the lady and saying: "Lady, although Mu Jin is clever and has a sharp tongue, she is a rare kind-hearted and righteous good woman, and would never do such a thing as harm her master behind his back. Lady, if you don't believe me, Biying is willing to use this humble life to prove her innocence, please be wise, lady."

  She said, then didn't look at me again, and suddenly rushed towards the stone pillar. Everyone didn't expect her to do so, and it was too late to stop her. I shouted in pain, calling out Biying's name, but my whole body couldn't move...